family blog

  Bathing a baby is cute. But physically? It is brutal. You are kneeling on hard ceramic tile, leaning over the tub rim, holding a slippery baby for 20 minutes. After a week, your knees are bruised, and your back is aching. The Solution: The Bath Kneeler . This is a thick, waterproof memory foam pad that sits on the floor next to the tub. Some versions also come with an Elbow Rest that suctions to the top of the tub rim. Comfort: It feels like kneeling on a cloud. Storage: Most have pockets for shampoo and toys. Drying: They usually have a velcro strap to hang on the towel rack so they dry out between baths. It turns a painful chore into a comfortable bonding time. Your knees will thank you.

  Testing bathwater with your elbow is "old school" advice. The problem? Your elbow is tough. You take hot showers every day, so you are desensitized to heat. A baby's skin is 30% thinner than adult skin. Water that feels "warm" to you can actually scald a baby in seconds. The Fear is Real. Many new parents are so afraid of burning the baby that they make the water too cold, and the baby screams because they are freezing. The Fix: The Safety Duck. You don't need a fancy digital thermometer. You just need the White Hot Safety Duck . It looks like a classic rubber ducky, but it has a heat sensor on the bottom. Too Hot: The word "HOT" appears in bright white letters at the bottom. Just Right: The letters stay blue. It takes the guesswork out of bath time. You just toss the duck in, wait 30 seconds, and check the bottom. If it says HOT, add cold water. If not, you are safe to splash.